Family Suite on the Emerald Princess

[hctraveler]

Has anyone booked the Family Suites on the Emerald Princes.  My question is how was it priced out (as one cabin or two. Mini suite and inside cabin) and is it considered suite club class, mini club class or no class at all.

[Babr]

The family suite is considered a suite with all privileges any full suite would get.

 

I have never booked it, but it is my understanding that you pay a single price as one cabin, not  necessarily the price of one plus the other. It is an interesting question since the price is never shown. Booking this suite requires a call to Princess.  
 

If someone else can’t answer your question here. Let us know what you find out.

[gwade]

We booked last year on the Grand. I have really mixed feelings about this cabin. To directly answer your question, it was booked as two separate cabins on two separate locators, but treated as "one" cabin (e.g. - you cannot only book one without the other). Fares were "1st and 2nd" pax in each cabin, and it ultimately was very expensive. Princess really doesn't know how to treat this cabin as I'll explain.

 

Advantages

 

I liked the space. We have two kids and the separate bedroom and bathroom was great. You share a combined living room and larger balcony, then it's just a regular mini-suite layout.

 

If you are a shareholder, and put both joint owners in separate sides of the room, you'll get two shareholder OBC.

 

Only one side gets "suite gratuities" charged...the inside get's normal "inside grats" charged (also seems dumb).

 

Does qualify for Club Class. Does qualify for Suite breakfast.

 

Disadvantages

 

Location was just awful. We happened to be on trip with REALLY rough seas. We are all very seasoned cruisers and the up and down and corkscrew motion threw everyone for a loop. Nobody got sick, but it was damn close for my kids. You are more forward than the bridge. In the high seas all we heard was noise...waves crashing against the hull, what seemed like loud movement / clanging from what we guessed was the theater (or the fo'c'sle...who can tell), nose all night long...unbearable for three days.

 

Princess' booking systems simply brain fart this cabin since it's internally two cabins. Two of us weren't noted in a "Suite" (by our key cards), the two in the mini were. I had to "appeal" to the front desk to simply get a key card that noted a suite (in order to use so-called Suite benefits like priority tender and the like). They couldn't do it and gave us a "sticker" where they hand-wrote "suite"...really cheesy. I know...first world problems.

 

Our cabin steward happened to be just awful. We had complained and were told that "they try to assign their best stewards to suites", but since this isn't really one and it's all by itself...it was pretty bad. I would say worst I've seen in all my years (we are Elite on Princess for reference).

 

I hate having two hallway doors. Twice someone barged into my kids side of the room while they were there because we didn't have the wherewithal to put their sign up...ours was. It's one damn cabin...how come your staff can't figure that out? Block off the second door if you aren't going to allow it to be sold separately.

 

Hell, even the Captains Circle host wasn't able to definitely tell us whether the "non-suite" side would get double cruise credits (we ultimately did). 

 

Conclusion

 

Ain't worth it, just book two mini-suites, really not worth the hassle and the location. If you really want the suite benefits, go with a regular aft suite.

 

 

 

 

 

[Colo Cruiser]

5 hours ago, hctraveler said:

Has anyone booked the Family Suites on the Emerald Princes.  My question is how was it priced out (as one cabin or two. Mini suite and inside cabin) and is it considered suite club class, mini club class or no class at all.

We have sailed in the Family Suite on the Emerald a couple of times.

It is priced/booked together. They don't split up the 2 cabins.

It is a suite so as stated you get all the perks suite perks u=including CC.

[AF-1]

Sailed in this suite on Emerald  two years ago to Alaska from Seattle.  We loved it.  It is basically a inside cabin and mini suite combined.  Two bedrooms and two bathrooms.  All suite benefits are included.  This is our experience.

1. we were escorted on ship in Seattle.  They walked us to the cabin

2. Club Class Dining

3. Breakfast in Crown Grill

4.Escorted off ship in Seattle

5. Free Laundry

6. Mini Bar Setup; we swapped out the two mini frig's for sodas and waters

*** only negative to this cabin was balcony.  It was huge; but could not be used at sea. This balcony is front of ship.  The wind is strong and there is nothing to keep the wind from knocking the chairs and lounges around.  In port the balcony was fine.  If you have any more questions let me know

Edited March 3, 2020 by AF-1

[ceilidh1]

We are booked in the family suite on Star in March. Our booking is on two separate confirmations, as mentioned above. There are four of us and one confirmation is for 2 pax and one is for the other 2 pax. Each person is priced the same. It "looks" like it is booked as 2 separate rooms, but one can't be booked without the other - you have two separate room numbers on the bookings though.

 

@AF-1 do you get mini bar in both rooms if there is an adult booked in each? If you have an elite in each, too, does that mean you get 4 minibars?

[jl88]

We were asked to trade two balcony cabins for the family suite on our March 2019 LA to HI round trip.  They offered us $3000 refundable OBC and full suite benefits if we would make the switch. We took the deal and were quite pleased.  We felt pampered.  We were escorted from check-in to our cabin with the escort insisting on carrying our carry on bags. Crown Grill daily breakfast and CC dining in particular were excellent.  We also received 1 mini bar set-up (it was the first princess cruise for all of us), laundry, and 2 "cruise credits" each.  We enjoyed the over sized balcony with a view to the wings of the bridge above and forward.  The balcony also has a wider angle view - we could see forward as well as to the side of the ship - great for viewing whales in Maui and Kauai.

Enjoy!

[AF-1]

12 hours ago, ceilidh1 said:

We are booked in the family suite on Star in March. Our booking is on two separate confirmations, as mentioned above. There are four of us and one confirmation is for 2 pax and one is for the other 2 pax. Each person is priced the same. It "looks" like it is booked as 2 separate rooms, but one can't be booked without the other - you have two separate room numbers on the bookings though.

 

@AF-1 do you get mini bar in both rooms if there is an adult booked in each? If you have an elite in each, too, does that mean you get 4 minibars?

Yes we had minibar in both cabins and had them swapped out. We are not elite so did not receive any elite benefits 

[eagletwo]

14 hours ago, jl88 said:

We were asked to trade two balcony cabins for the family suite on our March 2019 LA to HI round trip.  They offered us $3000 refundable OBC and full suite benefits if we would make the switch. We took the deal and were quite pleased.  We felt pampered.  We were escorted from check-in to our cabin with the escort insisting on carrying our carry on bags. Crown Grill daily breakfast and CC dining in particular were excellent.  We also received 1 mini bar set-up (it was the first princess cruise for all of us), laundry, and 2 "cruise credits" each.  We enjoyed the over sized balcony with a view to the wings of the bridge above and forward.  The balcony also has a wider angle view - we could see forward as well as to the side of the ship - great for viewing whales in Maui and Kauai.

Enjoy!

We received a similar offer a few years ago on the Crown.  We liked the two cabins/two bathrooms and the suite benefits but the balcony was not really usable most sea days.  With the ship going 20-22 knots and the wind coming across the deck at over 25 mph, it was a bit much.  We found out why the deck furniture was metal when around 3 am one morning the wind was so strong we were awaken by the chairs being blown all over the balcony and banging into the railing.  Only way we would stay in this type cabin again would be $XXXX of refundable OBC.  I think Princess shows this type of balcony on some of their advertising, a couple having diner on the balcony while at sea.  We smile every time we see the photo.

[Colo Cruiser]

1 hour ago, eagletwo said:

We received a similar offer a few years ago on the Crown.  We liked the two cabins/two bathrooms and the suite benefits but the balcony was not really usable most sea days.  With the ship going 20-22 knots and the wind coming across the deck at over 25 mph, it was a bit much.  We found out why the deck furniture was metal when around 3 am one morning the wind was so strong we were awaken by the chairs being blown all over the balcony and banging into the railing.  Only way we would stay in this type cabin again would be $XXXX of refundable OBC.  I think Princess shows this type of balcony on some of their advertising, a couple having diner on the balcony while at sea.  We smile every time we see the photo.

I agree the balcony is unusable most of the time when underway.

[geologyrx]

I just booked this cabin for a Panama Canal cruise in Feb 2021.  We are a married couple with a brother in law coming along as a single.  The rep said the 2 bedroom suite has all the perks of the suite level.  The difference between this cabin and 2 club mini suites (so that we get the perks of the suite) was $200. the advantage was that we took the total for the suite and divided it by 3.  The single person did not have to pay the same (or close to it for a cabin.)  We were looking at booking a vista suite for us but once my BIL decided to join us, paying 2/3 of  the 2 bedroom suite was more economical for us.

 

I hope we will enjoy this cabin but will report on it once we take the trip.

[AF-1]

Hi  I have been in this suite.  Basically you have a mini suite combined with an inside cabin.  You share a living room with the inside cabin.  Your brother in law will have a separate entrance to his room; his own bathroom, and will share the living room and balcony with you.  Your entrance will be a few feet from your brother in law's.  We enjoyed the cabin;  and yes you get full suite perks;  which are great.  The only downside to the suite is the balcony.  It is huge; but you can not sit out there when the ship is moving.  The cabin is right at the front of the ship; and there is nothing to block the wind; so when the ship is out to sea; the wind is so strong it blows your furniture to one side.  Our cabin steward had to tie the furniture down when we were at sea; and then put it back when we were in port.  We did not mind; since we were gone quite a bit during our cruise.  Enjoy the cabin and the perks.